| 摘要 |
<p>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flexible tube for an endoscope with excellent chemical resistance. SOLUTION: An inserting part flexible tube 1 is composed of a spiral tube 21, a net-like tube 22 for covering the outer peripheray of the spiral tube 21, skin 3 for covering the outer periphery of the net-like tube 22, and a covering layer 4 for covering the outer periphery of the skin 3. The covering layer 4 is composed mainly of a composite of urethane-based elastomer (an organic material) and silica (an inorganic material). In the composite, a composite domain is formed by joining silica to a hard segment of urethane-based elastomer. The composite has a structure of separating a soft segment of the urethane- based elastomer and the composite domain into two layer. The average thickness of the covering layer 4 is desirably 1 to 100μm. In the skin 3, a part on the side for contacting with at least the covering layer 4 is desirably composed of a material including urethane-based elastomer.</p> |
